Uterine leiomyomas, also known as myomas or fibroids, are benign growths within
the uterus. It is thought that fibroids exist in 50-75% of women, however, fewer
than half of these cause symptoms.
Fibroids are the most common tumors in the female pelvis and are responsible for
one third to one half of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed in the U.S. each
year.
Fibroids rarely become cancerous. In fact, it is thought to occur in no more than
.1% of all fibroids. Uterine leiomyomas are not to be confused with leiomyosarcomas,
which are malignant uterine tumors that usually affect post-menopausal women.
The two conditions are totally unrelated.
The goals of care are the minimization of complications such as anemia, pain,
and infertility while maintaining fertility in women who so desire.
Because most women have no symptoms, the majority are appropriately managed with
observation alone. The subsequent worsening of symptoms or the development of
other complications would warrant further consideration.
Treatment options include medications, radiologic procedures such as Uterine Artery
Embolization and surgery.
The Medifocus Guide on Uterine Fibroids provides answers to the following important
questions and medical issues:
What are the most common symptoms of uterine
fibroids?
Are there any recognized risk factors for
developing uterine fibroids?
What kinds of medical tests are used to
establish the diagnosis of uterine fibroids?
What is the current standard of care for
the treatment of uterine fibroids?
What treatment options are available for
the management of uterine fibroids?
Are there any promising new developments
or potential breakthroughs in treatment?
Who are the most notable medical authorities
who specialize in uterine fibroids?
Where are the leading hospitals and centers
of research for uterine fibroids?
What are the most important questions to
ask my doctor about uterine fibroids?
What Your Doctor Reads:
This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts
of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy
medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians
and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that
are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:
Uterine fibroid embolization. American Family Physician. 2000
Pre-operative GnRH analogue therapy before
hysterectomy or myomectomy for uterine fibroids. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [computer file]. 2000
An agenda for research into uterine artery
embolization: results of an expert panel conference. Journal of Vascular & Interventional Radiology. 2000
Uterine artery embolisation for symptomatic
fibroids. Medical Journal of Australia. 2000
Smooth muscle, endometrial stromal, and mixed
Mullerian tumors of the uterus. Modern Pathology. 2000
Lumbosacral radiculopathy secondary to metastatic
uterine leiomyosarcoma: a case report. Spine. 2000
Role of vaginal sonography and hysterosonography
in the endoscopic treatment of uterine myomas. Fertility & Sterility. 2000
Leiomyoma of the ciliary body extending to
the anterior chamber: clinicopathologic and ultrasound biomicroscopic correlation. Survey of Ophthalmology. 2000
The pathology of uterine smooth muscle tumors
and mixed endometrial stromal-smooth muscle tumors: a selective review with
emphasis on recent advances. International Journal of Gynecological Pathology. 2000
Ambulatory management of uterine leiomyomata. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology. 1999
MediFocus.com understands that consumers who are facing serious medical
issues need access to credible, up-to-date medical information to help them make
informed health-care decisions. That's why we've developed the MediFocus Guides...the
most advanced and trustworthy patient research guides for over 200 chronic and
life-threatening conditions. Each MediFocus Guide includes a detailed overview
of the condition including information about diagnosis, treatment options, cutting-edge
research, and new developments; excerpts of important journal articles from the
current medical literature focusing on standard treatments and treatment options;
a directory of leading authors and medical institutions who specialize in the
treatment of the condition; and a listing of organizations and support groups
where you can obtain additional information about the illness.
MediFocus Guides are the perfect solution for consumers who wish to gain
an in-depth understanding of their medical issue and avail themselves of the same
type of professional level medical information that is used by physicians and
other health-care professionals to help then in the clinical decision making process.
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